529-member 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Announced

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic Committee today announced the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team that will compete in the upcoming London Olympic Games. The 529-member team is comprised of 268 women and 261 men, marking the first time in history that Team USA features more female athletes. The United States will be represented in 25 sports (38 disciplines) and 246 of the 302 medal events that will be contested in London.

“The United States of America will be represented at the Olympic Games in London by 529 of our country’s finest individuals. They are our nation’s greatest athletes and embody what it means to be American. I look forward to watching them compete and to representing our nation both on and off the field of play,” said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “I’m also proud that for the first time in history, the U.S. Olympic Team features more women than men – a true testament to the impact of Title IX, which in its 40-year history has increased sport opportunities for millions of females across the United States.”

The 2012 U.S. Olympic Team features 228 returning Olympians, including seven five-time Olympians, 21 four-time Olympians, 57 three-time Olympians and 143 two-time Olympians. Returning from the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where the U.S. finished first in the overall medal count with 110 medals, are 206 U.S. Olympians. Among the returnees are 124 Olympic medalists, 76 of whom are Olympic champions.

“America’s athletes, our National Governing Bodies and the USOC have worked hand-in-hand to help this quadrennial moment be realized, and as we head into the exciting 17 days of the Games, we stand together as one team – Team USA,” said USOC Chairman Larry Probst. “The members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team look forward to being gracious guests to our London hosts and rising to their best as the Games unfold.”

Highlighting this list of accomplished U.S. athletes are swimmers Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. Phelps, who won a historic eight gold medals at the 2008 Games to become the most decorated Olympian at a single Games as well as the first person to win a total of 14 Olympic gold medals, needs just two medals to match Soviet gymnast Larysa Latynina’s record as the most decorated Olympian in history. Coughlin, who owns 11 Olympic medals, needs just one more medal to join swimmers Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres as the most decorated females in U.S. Olympic history.

“Today another distinguished group of athletes has earned the distinction of being named to the U.S. Olympic Team,” said Teresa Edwards, 2012 U.S. Olympic Team chef de mission and five-time Olympic medalist in basketball. “Whether competing at their first Games or fifth, the athletes on this team have made countless sacrifices, dedicating themselves to the pursuit of their Olympic dreams and to being their best both on and off the field of play. During the Games, we will continue to support them in every way possible and look forward to witnessing greatness.”

To congratulate and wish the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team good luck, the USOC is engaging in the age-old tradition of sending-off Team USA. In order for Americans across the country to participate, this year’s farewell will be formatted as a Digital Send-off, featuring live athlete chats on Facebook, live athlete Q&A sessions on Twitter and editorial content posted to TeamUSA.org. The Team USA Digital Send-Off will take place Wednesday, July 11, from noon-5 p.m. ET. To find out which athletes will be participating, click here.

2012 U.S. Olympic Team Fun Facts:

Forty-four states are represented, including 127 athletes hailing from California, 35 from both New York and Pennsylvania and 33 from Texas.

The oldest and youngest Olympians on the 2012 Olympic Team – equestrian athlete Karen O’Connor, 54, and swimmer Katie Ledecky, 15 – are separated by 39 years, while the average age is 27.

Basketball center Tyson Chandler checks-in as the tallest member of Team USA at 7 feet, 1 inch, and at 4 feet, 11 inches, three athletes are tied as the shortest members of Team USA – diver Katie Bell, wrestler Clarissa Chun and gymnast Gabby Douglas.

Team USA features two sets of twins in tennis players Bob and Mike Bryan and rowers Grant and Ross James. Other team siblings include swimmers Alyssa and Haley Anderson, taekwondo athletes Diana and Steven Lopez, sailors Paige and Zach Railey, field hockey players Julia and Katie Reinprecht, water polo players Jessica and Maggie Steffans and tennis players Serena and Venus Williams.

Sixty-seven members of Team USA have children; there are 54 dads and 13 moms.